Seize the Day!

Summer is in the air. With Memorial Day around the corner, people begin to pack up their belongings and head to barbeques, pool parties, and camp sites. The warm weather has rolled in and the fun has just begun. While we love a great break, we know that come Tuesday, it is back to work again! If you are struggling to motivate yourself to get back to the office, then this post is for you. We are highlighting the questionable thoughts you may have about the office, what they mean, and what steps you need to take next. Check out some tips we compiled just for you!

When Things Aren’t Adding Up in your Life Start Subtracting

We all have those moments between the snooze buttons where you question your ability to get out of bed and go to work. If you find yourself questioning your ability, need, or want to get up for work every day then the problem might be larger than your cozy bed. This month we have outlined three thoughts that are clear indicators that it’s time to start searching for a new job.

Take Me Anywhere but Here

Do you constantly dread showing up to work on a daily basis? Do you feel yourself withering as you walk through the door? We spend a large portion of our life at the workplace, if you constantly dread work, that feeling can take a toll on you physically and mentally. Take a step back and evaluate your actions over time. Have your relationships changed at work or at home? Do you find yourself constantly complaining about work? What about your health? Have you found that you are constantly tired and or stressed? You are a product of your environment and if work is negatively affecting your life then you probably need to take action. Dreading work on a daily basis is a clear indicator that you shouldn’t be there.

I’m not Unprofessional, Just Bored

Dreading work is one thing, being bored is another. Do you find yourself challenged at work? Do you find yourself procrastinating? Distracting yourself from the tasks at hand affects your career and your employer’s success. Daydreams and distractions happen to the best of us. If you find yourself constantly staring at the clock, counting down the seconds until you leave, then you need to take action. Analyze your current situation, what is causing the boredom? If you love your company but find that you are no longer challenged, talk to your boss. They might have projects for you to take on. If your company is not keeping up, then it might be time to start job searching again.

Is it Too Late to Change?

As we mentioned above, if you find yourself bored or dreading work then it might be time for a change. What happens when you realize the problem is no longer your company or your role, but it is your entire field? Panic and doubt start to set in and people typically find themselves looking for a new job without solving the problem at hand. Did you waste all those years in the wrong field? Do you have to start over completely? These questions and fears are normal. We are huge advocates for putting yourself in a position for success. You have to decide what that success means to you. Switching industries could change your life. A new challenge that you find interesting can erase the dread and boredom you once felt. So how do you make the switch? Look into different jobs and compare what skillsets they required against the ones you have. Start to familiarize yourself with the different paths people have taken. Do you need a degree or a certification in the industry? Do you need to start at the bottom? Mapping out your options can help you make smart choices for your future. Maybe you keep your current job while you take night classes, or maybe you start out as an assistant or associate using your current skill set as a platform to catapult off of. Every step counts.

Even if You Fall on Your Face You’re Still Moving Forward

Leaving one job and looking for a new one can almost be seen as a breakup. One of the first steps in moving on from a job breakup is to begin the search all over again and update your resume. To ensure that your updated resume does the trick, follow these tips for a successful resume.

Understand What You’re Applying for and Cater to It

Research the position you are applying for. Become familiar with what they are looking for and the skills you’re going to need to properly execute the job effectively. List out all of your professional experience and skills you’ve acquired. After you’ve done both, pick out which skills and experiences you want to include. For example, if you’re applying for a manager position include relevant skills like ‘leadership’, ‘time management’, or even a language if you can speak it. Steer away from things like ‘worked at Acme Company for 3 months’ or a job from a decade ago. You want to target your resume to the job and remove any information that is distracting or irrelevant.

Don’t Turn into Shakespeare, Keep it Simple

Avoid using excessing imagery and adjectives to describe your previous positions. If you worked as a waiter, don’t try to fluff it up by describing it as ‘happily served passionately and meticulously crafted meals designed specifically for the hungry customer with perfect posture, an authentic smile, and in a delicate manner’. Instead, write something that showed how your actions helped the company in a positive manner. For example, you could edit that statement to be “Served # customers a night, with no complaints from the customer on their order, timing, or experience. As a result, my section became the most popular for x, y, and z reasons.” Hiring managers want to know why they should hire you. If you were chosen to train new hires, or assist with large and difficult parties, those achievements are more appropriate to include. Be sure to include tasks and positions that relate to the position you are applying for. It’s crucial to make resumes industry or job specific or else they could be easily overlooked.

Bullet Points

Bullet points keep the resume concise. It keeps you from writing paragraphs on end about your experiences and skill set. Most bullet points should be one line. If actions speak louder than words, outline your actions and the results of those actions. If you have numbers associated with the actions like an increase in revenue, margin, or client retention, you should add them to the bullet point. Show the hiring manager exactly why you are right for the job.

All You Need is a Little Splash of Color

Hiring managers look a multiple resumes and applications before they get to yours. You only have a few seconds to wow them before they move on. Your experience should speak louder than your resume formatting. Looking to add a little personality? You can, but make sure it is industry specific. If you are working in a more traditional industry, we recommend showing personality by using a different font. Make sure you use a standard font on Word or you save your resume as a PDF. The last thing you need is your resume to open as gibberish because the employer doesn’t have that font loaded. If you are in a creative industry, we recommend changing things up. Play with formatting and mediums. Some industries and roles want the applicant to think outside of the box. If you do your research on the company, you should be able to figure out how you need to target your resume to stand out.